Lot 172. A pair of large famille-rose yellow-ground 'bajixiang' altar vases, gu, Qianlong marks and period (1736-1795). Estimate GBP 200,000 - GBP 300,000 (USD 246,600 - USD 369,900). Photo Sotheby's;

of archaic bronze shape, each vase finely decorated in bright famille-rose enamels on the flaring trumpet-shaped neck with four of the bajixiang divided by scrolling lotus blooms between ruyi head and upright lappet borders, the central bulbous knop section enamelled with further lotus scrolls, all supported on the high bell-shaped foot enamelled with the four remaining Buddhist emblems between key-fret and ruyi head borders, the interiors of the neck and foot enamelled in turquoise, the rims highlighted with gilding, the reign marks written in iron-red enamel in a single line within a rectangular cartouche on the narrow cylindrical neck and framed by a keyfret border, Japanese boxes. Quantité: 4 - 37 cm, 14 1/2  in.

Provenance: An East Coast Private Collection, purchased from Japan in the late 1960s (by repute).
Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York.

Notes: Striking for their large and finely executed design, this pair of vases belong to a rare group of altar wares commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor to furnish the many shrines, temples and ritual spaces within the compounds of the Imperial palaces. Made from the finest materials, including cloisonné enamel, bronze and porcelain, these vases were often placed in front of altars  as part of a five-piece altar set (wugong), which typically comprised an incense burner flanked by two candleholders and vases. Each piece of the garniture played an essential part within the altar: vases such as the present pair were meant to hold flowers, which were offered both for their beauty as well as reminders of impermanence; the light from the flame of the candles represented the offering of light to dispel the darkness of ignorance; and the censer at the centre, on the other hand, was used to hold incense that was not only meant to fill the room with fragrance but also to carry prayers skyward.

A closely related vase, from the collection of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, was sold in our New York rooms, 17th/18th October 1974, lot 527; and another was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd May 1994, lot 232. A smaller example in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, was included in the exhibition Qing Imperial Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 95; another was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1511; and a pair was sold in these rooms, 8th June 1993, lot 94. 

Famille-rose vases of this type are also known with a variety a coloured grounds; a coral ground example was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2006, lot 1123, another was sold in these rooms, 10th November 2004, lot 666; a ruby-ground version in the Tu Huo Zhai Museum, Hangzhou, was included in the exhibition Treasures of Imperial Porcelain, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Hangzhou, 2001, cat. no. 130; another was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 1st June 2015, lot 676; a pair of pink-ground vases was sold in these rooms, 11th June 1991, lot 218, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th October 2002, lot 733; and a light-blue ground example was sold in these rooms, 9th November 2005, lot 314. Compare also a complete set of altar garnitures that include two gu vases decorated in doucai enamels, sold in these rooms, 10th June 1991, lot 196, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 50, from the Meiyintang collection; another of smaller size, illustrated in Lu Minghua, Qingdai Yongzheng-Xuantong guanyao ciqi [Qing dynasty official wares from the Yongzheng to the Xuantong reigns], Shanghai, 2014, pl. 3-153; and a third, presented by Lord Kitchener to Sir Thomas Hohler, sold twice in these rooms, 17th December 1980, lot 677, and 11th May 2011, lot 230. 

A universal monarch at the centre of the world, the Qianlong Emperor lent his support to a variety of religious institutions, including Daoist and Buddhist temples, as well as Manchu shamanic shrines and the buildings and altars that housed the so-called ‘State Region’, the worship of impersonal Heaven. Garniture sets were used at official sites, such as the Temple of Ancestors in the Forbidden City, and at non-official halls including the Shouhuangdian located in Jinshin, the park that lay immediately north of the Shenwu gate within the grounds of the Imperial Palace. While state ancestral halls feature Nurgaci (the dynastic founder) as the primary object of workshop, halls such as the Shouhuangdian functioned as the imperial equivalent of a family ancestral hall for the descendants of Qianlong where his grandfather, the Kangxi Emperor, was the primary object of workshop. Non-state halls of worship were also used for domestic ritual performance conducted by imperial family members. 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

Lot 142. A rare and finely cast imperial bronze 'dragon' vase, Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795). Estimate GBP 150,000 - GBP 200,000 (USD 198,555 - USD 246,600 ). Photo Sotheby's;

of archaic bronze shape, each vase finely decorated in bright famille-rose enamels on the flaring trumpet-shaped neck with four of the bajixiang divided by scrolling lotus blooms between ruyi head and upright lappet borders, the central bulbous knop section enamelled with further lotus scrolls, all supported on the high bell-shaped foot enamelled with the four remaining Buddhist emblems between key-fret and ruyi head borders, the interiors of the neck and foot enamelled in turquoise, the rims highlighted with gilding, the reign marks written in iron-red enamel in a single line within a rectangular cartouche on the narrow cylindrical neck and framed by a keyfret border, Japanese boxes. Quantité: 4 - 37 cm, 14 1/2  in.

Provenance: An Old West Coast American collection (by repute)..

Notes: This magnificent vase is impressive for its large size and lavish decoration of dragons writhing amongst scrolling clouds, and embodies the grandeur and power of the Qianlong reign. It is a successful marriage of archaism, as seen in the ritual bronze hu form, with contemporary design. A pair of lavishly decorated bronze vases of related form, cast solely with phoenixes instead of dragons which indicates that the pair may have been commissioned as a tribute to the Qianlong emperor's mother, from the Alfred Morrison collection, was sold at Christie's London, 9th November 2004, lot 17; a single vase was sold at Christie's London, 22nd July 1981, lot 110; and another, but of smaller size and lacking one handle, was sold in our London rooms, 11th May 2011, lot 254. 

A bronze handled 'dragon' vase, Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795). Sold 79,250 GBP at Sotheby's London, 11th May 2011, lot 254. Photo Sotheby's.

the pear-shaped body rising from a spreading platform foot to a waisted neck surmounted and galleried rim, set to the neck with a dragon handle suspending a loose ring, cast with two pairs of confronting dragons in pursuit of a flaming pearl amidst cloud scrolls, the neck with two raised rings separating further bands of dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls, the sides of the mouth encircled with a classic scroll framed by keyfret borders, the foot encircled with pendent plantain leaves, C-shaped scrolls and a six-character Qianlong mark within a classic scroll band; 32cm., 12 5/8 in.

An important and very rare large imperial bronze altar vase, Qianlong cast six character mark in a line and of the period (1736-1795). Price Realised  HKD 2,420,000 (USD 313,776) at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2012. Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2012.

The impressive baluster vase is heavily cast in high relief with sixteen five-clawed dragons in pursuit of 'flaming pearls' amidst dense ruyi clouds divided into four registers, separated by a band of ruyi heads and C-scrolls at the shoulder and a band of lappets on the foot. The waisted neck is flanked by a pair of handles in the form of archaic phoenixes, suspending loose rings decorated with C-scrolls. The circular foot is cast in high relief with a six-character Qianlong mark in a line, and the foot rim with a three-character hall mark, Fengxian Dian, 'Hall of Ancestral Worship'. 18 1/2 in. (47 cm.) high 

Provenance: F. Gordon Morrill Collection, no. 14
A Japanese collection
A Swiss private collection 

Notes: This magnificent vase exemplifies the artistic and technical quality of bronze vessels cast for the imperial court and is exceptionally rare as it is inscribed with a three-character mark on its foot. It would have been made as part of a five-piece temple or altar garniture comprising a censer, a pair of vases and a pair of pricket candlesticks, all of equally impressive size and weight. The inscription on the foot, Fengxian Dian, clearly states that this vase was made specifically for ritual purposes in the Hall of Ancestral Worship, which is located in the east side of the Forbidden City, and had functioned as the place for ancestral worship for the Imperial family since the Ming dynasty.

Sacrificial ceremonies were among the most important rituals of the Qing court, with the emperor attending, if not performing, all of the major rites. Buddhism was the primary religion of the Qing dynasty and there were numerous Buddhist shrines and temples, as well as altars in the private quarters of the emperor and empresses. All of these necessitated ritual paraphernalia, including altar garnitures, which were made in various materials including bronze, porcelain and cloisonné enamel, and garnitures of varying size. 

A complete garniture in bronze, but of far more simple design, is illustrated by Wan Yi, et al., in situ in the shrine in the Hall for Worshipping Buddhas, Daily Life in the Forbidden City, New York, 1988, pl. 467. Three different bronze altar garnitures can be seen in a photograph of the Qin An Temple illustrated by Yu Zhuoyun, Palaces of the Forbidden City, Hong Kong, 1986, pp. 198-9, pl. 222. Another imperial bronze five-piece garniture of smiliar size also heavily cast with dragons, and with Qianlong reign marks, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 11 April 2008, lot 2826. A pair of imperial bronze vases of very similar design, but of larger size (76.5 cm. high) was sold at Christie's London, 15 May 2012, lot 188. Another pair of imperial bronze vases of this impressive type, but of smaller size (16 in. high), also with Qianlong marks, but of fanghu form and decorated with dragons and phoenix, was sold at Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 9 October 2007, lot 1322. See, also, the pair of massive (36 in. high) imperial bronze vases cast with Qianlong reign marks from the Alfred Morrison Collection, Fonthill House, sold at Christie's London, 9 November 2004, lot 17. Of the same shape as the present vases, they are designed with phoenix motifs.

Such vases would have comprised part of a five-piece altar garniture made for specific temples in the Imperial Palace and were generally commissioned as tribute to the emperor. The imposing size would have created a dramatic scene during ritual ceremonies, thus emphasising the importance and solemnity of such events. A set of altar garnitures comprised of two closely related vases, two candlesticks and a censer, was sold in these rooms, 11th April 2008, lot 2826; and an undecorated set of similar large size, in the Xianruo Temple, located in the garden of Cining Gong (Palace of Compassion and Tranquility) within the Forbidden City, where the empress and consorts conducted Buddhist religious ceremonies, is illustrated in situ in Qingdai gongting shenghuo, Hong Kong, 1985, pl. 467.

Compare also a pair of imperial bronze vases of square section cast with dragons and phoenixes, made for one of the buildings of the Yuanming Yuan (Imperial Summer Palace), sold three times in these rooms, 29/30th April 1997, lot 730, 10th April 2006, lot 1537, and again on 9th October 2007, lot 1322.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

Lot 107. An important and rare wine vessel, zun, Early Western Zhou dynasty (1066 BC-771 BC). Estimate GBP 120,000 — 150,000. Photo Sotheby's;

the cylindrical body rising from a spreading foot to a flared rim, the raised mid section finely cast with twotaotie on a leiwen ground above two further smaller taotie at the foot, divided with four sets of vertical flanges, the surface with a mottled green patina and some malachite encrustation, the interior of the foot with a bold inscription reading Zheng Zhong Zu Yi (Grandfather Yi of the Zheng Zhong clan): 27.8 cm, 11 in..

Bibliography: Minao Hayashi, Inshu Jidai Seidoki no Kenkyu (Inshu Seidoki Soran 1), Tokyo, 1986, p. 225...

Notes: This zun is outstanding for its crisply cast taotie motif which stands in relief against the precisely cast leiwen ground, and complements the elegant silhouette of the sweeping neck. Remarkably well-preserved, the refined rendering of the taotie mask with rounded horns is unusual and makes this piece particularly rare; compare a related zun with masks of this type included in the exhibition Ancient Chinese Bronzes, Yamanaka & Co. Ltd., London, 1925, cat. no. 19.

A zun of similar shape but cast with a variation of the taotie mask over a leiwen ground, is illustrated in Jung Keng, ‘The Bronzes of Shang and Zhou’, Yenching Journal of Chinese Studies, vol. II, pl. 265, no. 505; one is published in Vadime Elisseeff, Bronzes Archaiques Chinois au Musée Cernuschi, Paris, 1977, vol. 1, pl. 33; another of slightly smaller size, was sold in these rooms, 15th March 1973, lot 404; a fourth, from the collection of Arnold M. Grant, was sold at Christie’s New York, 20th November 1979, lot 71. Another related zun, but with shallower relief decoration, from the collection of Charles L. Rutherston, was sold in our New York rooms, 22nd March 1995, lot 119.

Zun of this type are also known without the leiwen ground, such as one illustrated in Robert W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. 1, Cambridge, 1987, pl. 50; another in the Buckingham collection, Art Institute of Chicago, published in Sueji Umehara, Shina-kodo Seika/ Selected Relics of Ancient Chinese Bronzes from Collections in Europe and America, vol. 1, Osaka, 1933, pl. 16; and a third, in the Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, illustrated in Steven D. Owyoung, Ancient Chinese Bronzes, St. Louis, 1997, pl. 14.

Originally used as ritual wine containers, zun are known from the late Erligang period and grew in popularity during the Shang dynasty. They were made either with angular shoulders or of beaker shape, such as the present piece, which appears to have evolved from archaic bronze gu. 

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

Lot 194. A rare and finely cast gilt-bronze figure of Sakyamuni, Sui dynasty (581-618). Estimate GBP 100,000 - GBP 150,000 (USD 123,300 - USD 184,950). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The figure is modelled wearing flowing robes, with the right hand raised in abhayamudra and the left hand resting on the lap. The face displays a serene expression, with pendulous earlobes and the hair is tied into a top knot. The figure is supported on a later lacquered wood double-lotus base. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm.) high including wood base

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 195. A rare and large huanghuali square table, late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 17th century. Estimate GBP 100,000 - GBP 200,000 (USD 123,300 - USD 246,600). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The table is decorated with a wide apron carved with dragons, above scroll-form spandrels and supported on legs of circular section. 34 in. (86.4 cm.) high, 41 in. (104 cm.) wide

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 194. A pair of huanghuali and hongmu square-corner compound cabinets, sijiangui, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century. Estimate GBP 100,000 - GBP 150,000 (USD 123,300 - USD 184,950). Photo Sotheby's.

each huanghuali-veneered cabinet of rectangular form, comprising a smaller top chest resting on a larger bottom one, the top cabinet of mitre, mortise, tenon, tongue-and-grooved flush floating-panel construction with four square uprights, the bottom cabinet similarly constructed with rectangular floating panels set within a narrow frame, the side panels on both the top and bottom cabinets of the same mitre, mortise, tenon, tongue-and-grooved, flush, floating-panel construction, all above plain spandrel aprons, the doors with baitong circular hinges, the central circular plates with three openings for the lock receptacles and shaped door pulls. Quantité: 4 - 266 by 126.7 by 59.8 cm, 104 3/4  by 49 7/8  by 23 1/2  in.

Notes: Known as sijiangui (four-part wardrobes), these impressive cabinets were generally made and displayed in pairs against the side wall of a room, hence their square members. Cabinets of this type are composed of two cabinets stacked on top of each other, the larger lower cabinet used to hold robes and large items, while smaller items, or objects that were not often needed, were kept on the top cabinet, which being so high up often necessitated the use of a ladder.

A similar cabinet is illustrated in Wang Shixiang, Classic Chinese Furniture. Ming and Early Qing Dynasties, London, 1986, pl. 148; a pair is published in Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, Chinese Furniture. Hardwood Examples of the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, New York, 1970, pl. 132; another pair, from the collection of Mme Henri Vetch, is illustrated in Gustav Ecke, Chinese Domestic Furniture, Rutland, 1962, no. 101, pl. 125; and a larger pair, from the Reverend Richard Fabian collection, was sold in our New York rooms, 15th March 2016, lot 42.

A pair of massive huanghuali square-corner compound cabinets (sijiangui), Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century. Sold 346,000 USD at Sotheby's New York, The Reverend Richard Fabian collection, 15th March 2016, lot 42. Photo Sotheby's.

(Cf. my post: http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2016/02/24/33423779.htm)

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

A wedding gift from Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia to Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark (born Princess Alice of Battenberg). A gem-set necklace by Fabergé composed of graduated oval Ceylon sapphires bordered with diamonds alternating with diamond-set elements of inverted square form centred with a diamond. Signed with the initials of Albert Holmström, St. Petersburg, 1908-1917. Private Collection.

Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark (born Princess of Battenberg) wearing the Fabergé necklace.

Netherlandish. Adam Dirksz, late 15th, early 16th century. Prayer Bead, 1500 – 1530, boxwood with metal fittings. Overall Closed: 58.8mm × 61.1mm (5.9 × 6.1 cm). Overall Open: 56.5mm × 56.5mm × 116.3mm (5.6 × 5.6 × 11.6 cm). The Thomson Collection© Art Gallery of Ontario. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre © Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

TORONTO.- Boxwood prayer beads, rosaries and miniature altarpieces made in Northern Europe during the early 1500s demonstrate the limitless potential of human artistic practice. These tiny masterpieces, small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, depict complex scenes with elegance and precision. Without fail, they inspire viewers to ask how a person could have possibly made them, a question that can only be answered today. The Art Gallery of Ontario has joined forces with The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to focus on these spectacular objects. Debuting in Toronto on Nov. 5, 2016, Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures, for the first time brings together more than 60 rare boxwood carvings from institutions and private collections across Europe and North America. The exhibition offers new insight into the methods of production and cultural significance of these awe-inspiring works of art. Highlighting the cutting edge technology used by curators and conservators in their search to understand these miniature sculptures, the exhibition runs until Jan. 22, 2017.   

Netherlandish. Queen of Sheba Visiting King Solomon; Adoration of the Magi. Prayer Bead, 1500 – 1530, boxwood with metal fittings. The Thomson Collection, AGOID.29458 . Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre © Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

Curated by Sasha Suda, the AGO’s Interim Curator of European Art & R. Fraser Elliott Chair, Print & Drawing Council; Barbara Drake Boehm, Paul and Jill Ruddock Senior Curator, The Met Cloisters; and Frits Scholten, Senior Curator of Sculpture at the Rijksmuseum, this exhibition represents the culmination of more than four years of research. Ongoing scientific investigation into these objects—led by the AGO's Conservator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts Lisa Ellis and The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Pete Dandridge, Conservator and Administrator, Department of Objects Conservation—has been assisted by scientists at the Canadian Conservation Institute, University of Western Ontario’s Department of Sustainable Archeology, London's Museum of Natural History (UK) and NASA.  

Netherlandish. Entry into Jerusalem (upper) with the Carrying of the Cross (lower). Prayer bead, 1515, fruitwood with metal fitting. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, AGOID.29283. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016

"Micro-CT scanning has revealed previously unknown and clever strategies used by the carvers to make these amazing works of art,‖ says Ellis. Suda confirms that ―this exhibition, the first of its kind, is the culmination of a fruitful partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Rijksmuseum. We are very proud to open the exhibition at the AGO and to share the results of our years of collaborative work." 

The Thomson Collection of European Art at the AGO is home to the world’s largest collection of 16thcentury boxwood carving. The exhibition includes ten prayer beads and two miniature altarpieces from the Thomson Collection, the study of which has been ongoing. 

South Netherlandish. F The Nine Worthies. Prayer Bead, before 1524, boxwood, ECL 21326. Musée national de la Renaissance – Château d'Écouen© RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY

Bringing together boxwood miniatures and related objects, the exhibition features several works which have never before been seen in North American venues. Originally owned by Henry VIII, the magnificent Chatsworth Rosary (c. 1509–1526), makes its North American debut. 

An online catalogue raisonné will provide generations of students and scholars unlimited access to these intricate and fragile works of art. Including the first ever comprehensive photographic campaign of these works of art by AGO photographers, the catalogue will launch in tandem with the exhibition allowing visitors the opportunity to view the works in unprecedented detail. Featuring a discussion of how these works of art were used, as well as technical analysis of their mechanics and design, this extensive online publication will include essays written by leading scholars, curators and conservators. 

Netherlandish. Carrying of the Cross. Miniature altarpiece (triptych), 1500 - 1530, boxwood. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, AGOID.107464. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

The wings are missing from this triyptych. 

Netherlandish. Expulsion of the Money Changers. Prayer bead, 1520 - 1530, boxwood with metal fittings. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, AGOID.29363. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

Netherlandish. Adam Dirksz. The Adoration of the Magi. Miniature altarpiece (triptych), 1500 - 1530, boxwood. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, AGOID.34208. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

South Netherlandish. Miniature altarpiece (triptych), 1520 - 1530, boxwood; stamped leather case. Paris, Louvre Museum, Department of Decorative Arts, OA 5612. © Musée du Louvre. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

Netherlandish. The Carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion, first quarter 16th century; 18th century silver case, boxwood with eighteenth century silver case. Private Collection, Toronto, Canada (22707). Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

South Netherlandish. Paternoster Bead Rosary, 1509 - 1526, boxwood. Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth (EXH.111926), Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre © Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016. 

One of two intact surviving boxwood rosaries, this example belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. After making himself head of the Church of England so that he could divorce Catherine, Henry banned the use of the rosary. 

South Netherlandish. Paternoster Bead Rosary, 1509 - 1526, boxwood. Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth (EXH.111926), Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre © Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

Paternoster bead showing the Mass of St. Gregory above the Virgin of the Sun. 

South Netherlandish. Paternoster Bead Rosary, 1509 - 1526, boxwood. Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth (EXH.111926), Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement. Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre © Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

Detail showing an inset roundel carved in relief from an ave bead. The rosary contains 74 roundels: each of the ten ave beads houses five and the paternoster, a remarkable twenty four. 

Netherlandish. The Vision of St. Hubert. Prayer bead, 1500 - 1530, boxwood. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, AGOID.29359. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

Two other surviving prayer beads depicting St. Hubert. 

Netherlandish. St. Jerome in the desert; St. Jerome blessing supplicants. Prayer Bead, 1500 - 1530, boxwood with metal fittings. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, AGOID.29360. Photo: Craig Boyko/Ian Lefebvre, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2016.

South Netherlandish. Crucifixion. Miniature altarpiece (triptych), 1500 - 1525, boxwood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (MMA 17.190.453). © The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo: Peter Zeray, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016.

The two central images show key scenes in Jesus’s life: the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. 

South Netherlandish. Nativity and Mass of St. Gregory.Miniature Altarpiece (Diptych), 1490 - 1510, boxwood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (MMA 17.190.476).© The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo: Peter Zeray, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016.

Two deeply carved planks of boxwood, joined with hinges. The two sides close like a book to protect the interior.

North German. Joseph and Potiphar's Wife; Judgement of Paris. Prayer Bead in the form of a peapod, c. 1500, boxwood0. Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, 1923.53. © Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe

Frederic Leighton, Flaming June, 1895. © Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc.

LONDON.- One of the most iconic works of nineteenth-century British art returns to the house in which it was painted this November. Flaming June: The Making of an Icon (4 November 2016 – 2 April 2017) sees Frederic, Lord Leighton’s masterpiece displayed once again in the unique setting of the artist’s ‘House Beautiful’, Leighton House Museum in Kensington. For the first time since 1895 Flaming June has also been reunited with the paintings shown by Leighton in that year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition – his final submission, before his death in January 1896. 

Flaming June: The Making of an Icon is a landmark exhibition for the museum, returning Leighton’s most famous and celebrated work to Leighton House from the Ponce Museum of Art in Puerto Rico. Depicting a sensual, sun-drenched, sleeping female figure wrapped in orange draperies against a Mediterranean backdrop. The exhibition explores the extraordinary story of this picture, from its creation in Leighton’s studio, its first critical reception at the Royal Academy, through its ‘disappearance’ in the middle of the twentieth century, its acquisition by Luis A. Ferré, Governor of Puerto Rico for the Museo de Arte de Ponce in 1963 and subsequent rise to international fame as one of the most memorable and reproduced images in the whole of British art. Flaming June’s visit to London will be followed by an exhibition of works by Leighton in Puerto Rico in July 2017, consisting of a selection of important figure paintings, oil sketches and drawings from the Leighton House Museum collection. 

Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-96), was one of the pre-eminent artists of his day. President of the Royal Academy from 1878 to 1896, he achieved great fame and influence as a figurehead for art in late Victorian society; a period when art enjoyed unprecedented public interest and appreciation. At Leighton House Museum, Flaming June is being shown beside the other works submitted by Leighton to the Academy in 1895, all of which were memorably captured and photographed on easels in Leighton’s studio immediately prior to being sent to the Academy. They make a fascinating and revealing group, representative of themes and subjects that had informed Leighton’s work over the preceding decades. 

The Maid with Golden Hair, Twixt Hope and Fear and Candida have been loaned from private collections with Lachrymae coming from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The re-gathering of these pictures places Flaming June back into the context of its original exhibition, providing a compelling starting-point for exploring its history. 

Frederic Leighton, The Maid with Golden Hair, 1895. Private Collection © DR

Leighton was already unwell with the heart condition that would kill him at the time he made this last Academy submission. The assembled pictures represent his last statement as an artist and allow a reappraisal of his achievements, relating these five works back to the career that led up to their production and understanding the legacy of a creative life that was close to its end. 

Daniel Robbins, Senior Curator at Leighton House Museum says “I am delighted that over 125 years on we can reunite these five paintings created by Leighton in the home and studio he cherished. This exhibition will be a chance for visitors to look more closely into this final body of work with Flaming June as its centrepiece and consider afresh Leighton’s achievements as an artist. I am extremely grateful to those who have loaned the works to us for the exhibition and to those who helped us track down the paintings held in private collections.” 

Councillor Timothy Coleridge, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's Cabinet Member with responsibility for Arts said, "The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is thrilled to see Flaming June return to Leighton House. This feels like a very special moment for the museum, a chance for us to celebrate the unique history of this exceptional house, the artist who created it and the wonderful paintings made within it.” 

Alejandra Peña, Director of the Museo de Arte de Ponce commented, “Many of our visitors come to Ponce to see Flaming June, and we agree to loan the painting rarely and only in extraordinary circumstances. This project is clearly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and our Museum is happy to collaborate with Leighton House to organise exhibitions in London and in Ponce that will surely heighten Leighton’s standing and international reputation".

Frederic, Lord Leighton, Twixt Hope and Fear, 1895 © 1998-2016 The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Lot 58. A rare early Ming blue-glazed dish, Xuande incised six-character mark within double circles and of the period (1426-1435). Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 99,680 - USD 149,520). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The interior and exterior are covered in a deep blue glaze, and the mouth is bound with a copper rim. 7 in. (17.8 cm.) diam.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 129. A large gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty, 17th century. Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 99,680 - USD 149,520). Photo Sotheby's.

the figure seated in dhyanasana the right hand holding a willow stem, the left holding a bowl of elixir, wearing loosely fitted robes hemmed with scrolling lotus and open at the chest to reveal a necklace, the face with a serene downcast expression and wearing a crown with Amitabha set into the centre; 52.5 cm, 20 3/4  in.

Notes: This figure is impressive for its large size and crisp casting. The serene facial features reveal the benevolent nature of Guanyin, who, according to the Lotus Sutra, could take any form necessary to save sentient beings. The present piece depicts the bodhisattva in the manifestation of Bhaisajyaraja Avalokitesvara. The bowl of elixir held in the left hand is believed to cure all physical and spiritual illnesses, and the willow, which is used to sprinkle illnesses, and the willow, which is used to sprinkle the elixir over devotees, has evil-dispelling properties.

Buddhist gilt-bronze figures were produced in China almost from the beginning when Buddhism was embraced by various courts of China’s division after the Han dynasty (206BC – AD220). Until the Tang dynasty (607-906) however they remained very small. One of the earliest developments away from small votive images took place in the Khitan Liao dynasty (907-1125), when sculptures not only became bigger but also developed stylistically towards a more abstract sculptural aesthetic. During the early Ming period the court took complete control of their production and a distinct classic style was devised that were determine the design of all future Chinese Buddhist gilt-bronze images such as the present.

Related gilt-bronze figures of Bhaisajyaraja Avalokitesvara of this large size include one sold at Christie’s New York, 21st November 1979, lot 410; another, but more elaborately bejewelled, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th April 1995, lot 606A; and a third example sold at Christie’s London, 29th April 1981, lot 89. Compare also slightly smaller examples, such as one sold in our New York rooms, 1st December 1992, lot 196; and two further figures also sold in our New York rooms, 18th October 1990, lots 195 and 197.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

Lot 136. A rare and finely cast gilt-bronze figure of Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 99,680 - USD 149,520). Photo Sotheby's.

the figure seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, the principle hands in namaskaramudra, the secondary hands holding a flower and a bhodi bead, wearing a patterned shawl, flowing dhoti and a billowing scarf around his shoulders and arms falling to the base, the face with a peaceful, downcast expression framed by a pair of large studded circular earrings and a five-pointed diadem securing the hair swept in a top knot surmounted by the head of Amitabha, the bare torso adorned with inlaid beaded jewellery; 26.8 cm, 10 1/2  in.

Notes: Shadakshari-Lokeshvara is the four-armed manifestation of the great bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and is often regarded as the patron deity of Tibet: the Dalai Lamas are deemed to be earthly incarnations of the bodhisattva. This form of Avalokiteshvara is popular with the Gelukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism that was favoured by the Qing court. The deity’s principal hands are held before the heart in the anjalimudra of respectful salutation, with the two outer hands holding the bhodi bead from a rosary representing enlightenment, and the lotus flower of purity. Amitabha emerges from the hair as a symbol of Avalokiteshvara’s spiritual lineage and the wisdom of all Buddhas. Shadakshari-Lokeshvara wears the flayed skin of a mythological deer (krishnasara) draped over the left shoulder as a symbol of benevolence (maitri): the hind legs of the deer can be seen emerging from beneath the shawl covering the shoulders at the back of the bodhisattva. The worship of Shadakshari-Lokeshvara dates back to at least the eleventh century in eastern India: an eleventh century Pala period (ca 750-ca 1200) brass statue of the deity is now in the Jokhang monastery collection, Lhasa, see Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2001, Vol. I, p. 272, pl. 88A

This rare early Qing period statue of Shadakshari-Lokeshvara bears close resemblance to a Kangxi gilt copper alloy figure of Amitayus in the Qing Court Collection, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Buddhist Statues of Tibet, Hong Kong, 2003, p. 238, cat. no. 227: cf. the scarf ends emerging from beneath the legs and hanging over the front of the lotus base, the large drop-shaped jewel settings in the crown and the jewel settings in the ends of the crown ties so typical of Kangxi works, the engraved textile pattern of the robe hems, the downcast eyes and meditative countenance, and the long straight hair tresses on the shoulders.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM 

Lot 76. A famille rose figure of Amitayus, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 99,680 - USD 149,520). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The figure is modelled with both hands in dhyana mudra and seated in dhyanasana, holding an ambrosia flask. The seated figure is wearing long robes and is adorned with elaborate jewellery, all on top of a separate double-lotus base; 11 ¾ in. (29.8 cm.) high overall.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 114. A rare gilt-bronze figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty, 17th century. Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 99,680 - USD 149,520). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The seated figure is modelled wearing flowing robes with floral borders, holding a scroll with both hands. The ears and chest are adorned with jewellery, and there is an elaborate headdress to the head. The face bears a serene expression with downcast eyes. 22 7/8 in. (58.8 cm.).

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 106. A rare imperial yellow silk damask panel of Avalokitesvara, Yongle period (1403-1424). Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 99,680 - USD 149,520). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

The panel is finely woven in yellow silk to depict Avalokitesvaraas the four-armed Shadakshari Lokeshvara, with the inner arms in anjalimudra. He is seated on an elaborate throne on top of a large lotus, set against a ground with clusters of floral sprays. 44 in. x 41 ½ in. (111.8 cm. x 105.5 cm.).

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 124. A pair of large and impressive cloisonné enamel vases and covers, Qianlong-Jiaqing period, circa 1800. Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000 (USD 99,680 - USD 149,520). Photo Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

Each vase is decorated with colourful floral sprays, butterflies and birds, with a pair of dragon-form handles. The cover is decorated with further floral sprays, with ruyi form reticulated panels detailed with bats, all surmounted by a finial with a dragon. 41 in. (104.1 cm. ) high.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 8 November 2016, London, King Street

Lot 333. A blue and white double-gourd vase, 17th century. Estimate GBP 6,000 — 8,000. Photo Sotheby's.

painted with a continuous moonlit mountainous river landscape scene of scholars standing on a bank bidding another scholar farewell, with another scholar on horseback with attendants on the far bank, approaching retreats amongst swirling clouds, all below a thin band of ascending leaves at the cylindrical neck: 25.4 cm, 10 in.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

Lot 334. A pair of iron-red and green-enamelled 'dragon' dishes, 17th century. Estimate GBP 1,500 — 2,000. Photo Sotheby's.

the gently curved sides of each, rising from a short tapering foot to a flaring rim, the interior painted with a five-clawed dragon chasing a 'flaming pearl', the exterior with two prancing dragons, the base with the marks Wai Shanfang (Outer Culinary Bureau). Quantité: 2 - 16.3 cm, 6 3/8  in..

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

Lot 336. A blue and white bottle vase, circa 1640. Estimate GBP 8,000 — 12,000. Photo Sotheby's.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM

Lot 337. A blue and white bottle vase, circa 1640. Estimate GBP 8,000 — 12,000. Photo Sotheby's.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, Londres, 09 nov. 2016, 11:30 AM